As a life insurance agent, preparing your applicant for the paramedical examination is an important part of your job. After all, the outcome of these exams directly impacts your customers’ life insurance coverage and premiums. So what can you do to help improve accuracy? Follow these 3 simple, yet critical tips:
Determine which test will be performed and prepare accordingly
Most paramedical exams include a height, weight, blood pressure and pulse measurement. Additionally some life insurance policies also require applicants to submit to blood, urine and oral fluid analysis and/or an EKG. Each of these screenings test for specific risk indicators and require a certain amount of preparation. Insurance carriers should be able to provide a list of all required screenings, ahead of time, allowing you to properly prepare your applicant for his or her exam. Preparations may include:
·Fasting for 4-8 hours
·Avoiding caffeine or nicotine for at least 1 hour
·Avoiding strenuous exercise for 12 hours
Be sure to take the time to determine which preparatory measures need to be taken for each of your applicants’ paramedical exams and provide instruction accordingly. Remember, your prospective clients are depending on you to help them secure quality coverage at a good value.
Answer all medical exam questions accurately
The medical interview is an extremely important part of the paramedical exam process, giving the carrier an opportunity to assess the level of health of each applicant. Be sure to help your prospective customers understand the dangers of falsifying information during the interview. If a carrier discovers that they have been dishonest they can raise premiums, cancel the policy and/or deny beneficiary claims. As you explain the importance of the medical interview, take the time to explain the types of questions they can expect, such as: nicotine use, alcohol consumption, level of physical activity, etc.
Work with a laboratory utilizing Six Sigma Principles
Finally working with a reputable laboratory will also play a major role in the level of accuracy of a paramedical exam. In many cases you, as the life insurance agent, you do not have the opportunity to decide which laboratory will test the specimens. However, sometimes your choice of who performs the paramedical exam determines which laboratory will test the specimen. For example, in some cases, when ExamOne collects the specimen it is automatically tested at our laboratory.
Also be sure to recommend a laboratory with a reputation for providing accurate results in a timely manner. At ExamOne we have a Six Sigma Quality program with 99.99% accuracy – setting a new level of accuracy within the medical community. Laboratories considered “good” are a 3.5 sigma, resulting in 22,700 defects per million opportunities (DPMO). At ExamOne however, we strive for “virtual perfection” at 99.99%.
We encourage you to take these steps to ensure the highest level of accuracy with each of the paramedical exams your prospective and existing customers submit to. In helping to ensure accuracy you’re not only helping your bottom line, you’re helping your valued customers secure the coverage they need.
Interested in more tips and tricks to help your customers through the paramedical exam process? We encourage you to follow the ExamOne blog and to share your questions and comments below. Join the conversation!
